Borobudur Temple

Borobudur, the magnificent world cultural heritage site, is the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

The shapes of Borobudur are full of philosophical ornaments which symbolise the unity in diversity of the paths to reach the ultimate aim of life. With all its long history and natural surroundings, Borobudur is undeniably a cultural masterpiece.

The Borobudur sanctuary is one of the jewels of the world cultural heritage. A vast Mahayana Buddhist monument in the form of a pyramid-shaped mandala, it was built in the heart of Java around 800 AD by the Sailendra dynasty and abandoned shortly after completion. It covers an area of almost one and a half hectares, with a central dome almost 35 metres above the base. It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, then three circular platforms of 72 openwork stupas and, at the top, a monumental stupa.

The walls and balustrades are decorated with 1,400 bas-reliefs and 432 statues of Buddha. Rediscovered in 1814, the site was cleared of rubble and vegetation, but since then has been battered by earthquakes, the elements and the encroaching jungle. Borobudur, located in Magelang, Central Java, is approximately 40 kilometers northwest of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

UNESCO launched an international campaign for its restoration in 1972. Completed in 1983, the project, in which 27 countries took part, was the most important of its kind since the Nubian monuments campaign. Borobudur was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991, Ref. 592. (Source : UNESCO).

Borobudur Temple Reliefs

Borobudur Temple Sunset

Borobudur Temple at Night

Vesak Commemorations at Borobudur

More than a thousand Buddhist Monks undertake the annual pilgrimage to Borobudur Temple in remembrance of the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.

Once a year, during the full moon in May, the Buddhists hold the Vesak ceremony commemorating the birth of the Buddha, the delivery of his first sermon and his death. The ceremony is held at the Candi Mendut and is attended by thousands of Buddhists from all over the world.

The following morning the Buddhists walk in a procession from Candi Mendut passing through the small Candi Pawon and finally to Candi Borobudur where the main ceremony is staged. This sequence, Mendut - Pawon - Borobudur symbolizes the stages of becoming a true Buddhist.